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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · lie · straw · dip · sharp · root · bat · vault

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. craft — a skill
  16. root — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com